Maximum Bulk, Maximum Cut, and Good Ol' Maintenance

Hello Jordan,

Weird title I know, but along the same lines of what a lot of others have been asking on these forums, what is the cutoff for bulking, and the cutoff for cutting?

Stats/Current Background:

  1. At 173-174lbs, waist when last measured was close to 34", might be slightly bigger now.

  2. 2900 calories per day, which puts maybe 1lb per week on, I’m trying to slow it down to .5lb per week, but I think I counted calories incorrectly over the holidays (underestimated of course).

  3. Training for some time now (many years of barbell experience before this with basic lifts, and now 3-4 months with starting strength/barbell medicine models).

  4. 5’10", male, lifts are continuing to go up for me.### Goal:

In terms of overall goals, I do want to get a ton of muscle, and I see your recommendation about gaining .5kg - 1kg per month. I admire powerlifters like Dave Tate, but never want to get enormously fat like he has done in the past to bulk up. Maintenance for me would be “I have a ton of muscle AND I am strong, I want to stay like this”.

Questions:

  1. Is the max bulk cutoff essentially when waist goes over 37"? Scale back at that point and cut until ?_.
  2. I could cut weight until I was 140 or something, but I know that’s probably extreme. What’s the cutoff for cutting? Is it waist measurement under 32" or some other measure?
  3. Are there any other guidelines, other than “my lifts are continuing to increase,” or “I look good in the mirror, so I’ll maintain” to someone who is seeking continuous muscle and strength gains (within reason of course, I know I can’t keep gaining strength linearly forever).
  4. Should I measure anything else during bulking and cutting, like bodpod body fat percentage every 6 months-1 year?

Thanks!
The Tank

We don’t have a cutoff for cutting, as it’s really personal preference. Additionally, I wouldn’t bulk past a ~34-35" waist.